Car starter and mover.



No. 685 ,|20. v v .Patented Oct. 22, IQOIQ J. B. EBWIN'& J. N. MOEHN. CAR STA RTER AND MOVER.

v (Applcaton filed Dec, 3, 1900.)

(No Model.)

///////l//l////////////////////`///////////////a A Han: 5 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. ERWIN AND JOHN N. MOEHN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CAR STARTER AND MOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,120, dated October 22, 1901.

Application filed December 3, 1900. Serial No. 38,392. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES B. ERWIN and .JOHN N. MOEHN,CitiZenS of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Im provements in Car Starters and Movers, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in that class of car star-ters and movers by which the necessary power for movng the car is applied througha compound lever to the periphery of the car-wheel.

Ourinprovement pertains m ore especially,`

first, to the construction of the fulcrum or pivotal support of the so-called primary lever, which rest-s upon one of the rails of the car-track; second, to the device for retaining such lever in place upon the rail as it is being shoved forward behind the moving car, and, third, to the device for retaining the two parts of which the compound lever is forned in their proper relative positions to each other.

The Construction of our invention is eX- plained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a top View, and Fig. 2 is a lngitudinal section drawn on line a: w of Fig.

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters in both views.

A is the primary lever, which is pivotally supported upon the track B by the revoluble fulcrum C. The fulcrum Cis supported between the vertical walls D D of the recess E upon the bolt or pin F.

G is the short arm of the primary lever A, which is adapted to engage beneath the periphery of the car-wheel.

H H are downwardly-projecting lugs, which are formed integral with the walls D D of the lever and extend downward a short distance below the fulcrum C, so as to engage upon the respective sides of the railway-rail B, whereby said lever is retained upon the track as it is being pushed forward upon the sam behind the noving car. p

The side walls D D form the long arm of the primary lever, which lever is pivotally connected with the secondary lever J by the bolt K.

L is the short arm of the seeendary lever,

which is also adapted to engage against the periphery of the car-wheel as said levers are forced forward between the convex surface of the wheel and the track. While the lever J may, if desired, be formed of metal entire, it is preferably provided with a socket N, in which is inserted a wooden handle M, of any desired length. The front end of the arm L is provided with an extension-piece O, which is secured in place between the walls P P of said arm by the pivotal bolt Q. The primary lever A is limited in its upward movement between said side walls D D by the crosspiece R, which is cast integral with said side walls, and is also limited in its downward movement by the bolt or pin S, which is supported at its respective ends in said side walls D and extends across from one wall to the other beneath said primary lever. The cross-piece R and pin S not only serve as stops to the upward-and-downward movement of the primary lever, but they perform an additional function by connecting-together and strengthening the walls P of said arms and prevent the liability of such arms being sprung apart and broken by excessive pressure to which they are subjected. The fulcrum C is preferably forned of hardened steel or other hard metal and is hexagonal in crosssection, the surfaces T between the angles of the hexagon being slightly concave, so as to form sharp points at such angles, which points are adapted to engage in the surface of the railway-rail and prevent the levcr from slipping rearward as the same is applied to the periphery of the car-wheel. By thus making the surfacesTof the fulcrum slightly concave between the contact-points two separate contact-points or bearings U are brought into contact with the rail at the same time, whereby two important objects are attainedt'. e., first, the pressure brought to bear upon the fulcrum is subdivided between such points, whereby they are less liable to become dull or broken by contact with the rail, and second, by thus providing the fulcrum with two contact-points at equal distances from the vertical center of said fulcrun the base of the fulcrum is broadened, and the fulcrum is thereby prevented from rotating backwardly upon the rail as pressure is applied to the wheel. As the points U upon the rail are liabie to become duli or blunt, the fulcrum may be turned on its support ing-bolt F, so as to bring the other points U in contact with the rail, whereby the life of said fulcrum is prolonged.

While we have shown the short arm of the lever in two parts, so that the same may be extended by turning the extension-piece O forward upon its supporting-pivot Q, said parts O and L may, if desired, be forned interral.

We are aware that a cylindrioal roller having a serrated surface has previously been used as a fulcrum to a one-arned lever, as shown in United States Patent No. 504,535; but owing to the cylindrical shape of such fulcrum a pawl and ratchet are used, and necessarily used, to prevent said roller from turning backwardly as the lever is applied to a carwheel, while by our improvement the fulcrun is given a broad base, which is practically the same as if it were rectangular in shape, and it has no more tendency to rotate backward than a rectangular block would have, whereby the necessity of employing a pawl and ratchet to prevent rearward rotation of the pawl is avoided, while by making the surface between the angies of the fulcru m con cave such angles are more aeu te and are thereby caused to engage in the surface of the rail.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car Starter and mover, a primary lever, comprising a short arm G; two Vertical walls D, D forming the long arm thereof; cross-piece and a cross-pin S, in combination with a revoluble fulcrum C; secondary level' J; and pivotai bolt or fulcrum K, substantially as set forth. 4

2. In a car starte* and mover, a primar-y lever, comprising a short arm G; two Vertical walis D, D, forming. the long arn thereof; cross-piece R; and cross-pin or stop S, in combination with the secondary lever J; pivotal bolt K; and a revoluble hexagoual fulcrum C, said fulcrum C being prevented, by its breadth of base,t` rom roliing rearwardl y when under pressure, as set forth.

In testimony Whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. ERWIN. JOI-IN N. MOEHN.

W itnesses:

CLARA L. RoEscH, LEVERETT C. WHEELER. 

